Sign 1: You heard a loud bang
A torsion spring releasing hundreds of pounds of tension sounds like something hit the garage door from outside. Fort Collins homeowners often hear it at night or early morning when the cold finishes off a tired spring. If you heard the bang and the door will not open, that is almost certainly the spring.
Sign 2: There is a gap in the spring
Look at the spring on the bar above the door. A healthy torsion spring is one continuous tight coil. A broken one has a visible gap of an inch or two where it snapped. On extension spring doors (springs along the tracks), look for a spring hanging loose or stretched out.
Sign 3: The door opens a few inches and stops
The opener starts to lift, meets the full weight of the door without the spring’s help, and gives up. Repeated attempts strip the opener’s drive gear, so stop after the first try.
Sign 4: Cables are loose or the door is crooked
When the spring lets go, the lift cables lose tension and often come off their drums. One side drops, the door jams at an angle, and a cable hangs loose. Do not try to rewind the cable.
Sign 5: The door is extremely heavy by hand
Pull the red emergency release cord and try to lift the door. A balanced door lifts with one hand and stays put at waist height. A door with a broken spring weighs 150 to 250 pounds and will not stay up.
Sign 6: The opener strains, then the door slams
If the spring is partially failed, the opener may lift the door slowly then let it drop hard on the way down. That drop bends panels and breaks rollers. Treat it as broken.
What to do right now
Unplug the opener so nobody runs it. If you need the car, two people can lift the door and prop it with a ladder. Do not touch the spring, the cables, the drums or the set screws. Then call: spring replacement in Fort Collins runs $180 to $450 for a pair and is usually done the same day.
Why springs break
Cycle count, mostly. Standard springs are rated for 10,000 cycles, about 7 to 10 years of normal use. Rust, cold snaps and a door that has been out of balance for a while shorten that. When one spring on a double door goes, the other is right behind it, which is why they are replaced in pairs.
If you are past the easy fixes, the pros we refer handle same day garage door spring repair in Fort Collins the same day in most cases. For the manufacturer and safety background on this topic, see the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s garage door safety guidance.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still open my garage door if the spring is broken?
By hand, with two people, in an emergency. Never with the opener.
How much does it cost to replace a garage door spring in Fort Collins?
$180 to $280 for a single torsion spring and $260 to $450 for a pair, parts and labor, same day in most cases.
How long does a garage door spring last?
About 10,000 cycles for a standard spring, which is 7 to 10 years for most families. High cycle springs last 25,000 cycles or more.
Is it dangerous to replace a garage door spring yourself?
Yes. It is the leading cause of serious garage door injuries. Winding bars, the right spring, and experience are all required.
Why did my spring break in the winter?
Cold contracts the steel and a spring near the end of its life snaps on the first cold cycle of the day.
Should I replace the opener too?
Not unless the opener was damaged trying to lift the door. The tech will check the drive gear.
What is the gap in my spring?
The break. A torsion spring that has snapped separates into two sections with a visible gap between them.
Can a broken spring damage the door?
If the door is run or drops, yes: bent panels, broken rollers, a bent track. Leave it down until the tech arrives.